


Better Than Any Silly Old Relic

by afteriwake



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Museum, Awkward Conversations, Cute, Cute Sherlock/Molly, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Meet-Cute, Molly is a University Student, Pre-Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper, Science Museum of London, Sherlock is Head of Security
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-25 18:15:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6205561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Molly has gone back to university after the death of her mother, and to escape the tedium of her studies she goes to a place she’s always felt comfortable, the Science Museum of London. But her frequent visits have caught the attention of the head of security, one Sherlock Holmes, and that leads to an awkward encounter in the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Than Any Silly Old Relic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [an_elegant_chaos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/an_elegant_chaos/gifts), [leidibrf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/leidibrf/gifts).



> And another AU for all of you! This one comes via a prompt by **an-elegant-chaos** , who gave me the prompt " _'you work at a museum and I like to come by a lot in my free time and wait why do you seem to follow me around from exhibit to exhibit' au_ " a log while back. **leidibrf** was the lucky user who claimed this fic in the fic acronym title claim, so this fic is gifted to them as well. I hope you both enjoy!

She didn’t have a lot of free time, what with cramming for her studies and all (who in their right mind chucks away a steady job in their thirties to go back to university to pursue their dream of becoming a doctor, _really_?) but what time she did have she chose to spend at the Science Museum. Oh, she could have quite easily have gone to a café or gone to one of the many public gardens all over London, but…there was something about the Science Museum that drew her to it like…well, like a magnet to a lodestone, she supposed. She had fond memories of coming there with her father when she was a girl, of sneaking off during school trips (well worth the scoldings and threats of suspensions) and it was rather like a second home.

And at the moment, they had an amazing exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci’s models and she just _had_ to see them, as they were only going to open the exhibit to the public a few days.

She made her way briskly to the doors of the museum and let herself in, staring about in wonder once she was inside. Oh, her dream job really would have been to work her. Well, one of them. Her _dream_ dream job was to be a doctor, and that was why she was in university at the age of thirty-three, doing what she had set aside all those years ago when her mum had taken ill. She was going to finish her degree if it killed her (and it bloody well _could_ she reckoned…these long nights of studying were _murder_ ) and she was going to make the memory of her parents proud. But today she was going to walk among genius.

And, perhaps, if the attractive blonde museum attendant was here, maybe flirt just a teeny bit.

Oh, who was she kidding? No she wouldn’t. She’d chicken out, as usual. Either that or she’d be so engrossed in the historical models and the reproductions and the interactive games and the installations she’d ignore him. 

She made her way to the area where the exhibition was being held and then took a deep breath before she entered it, taking it all in with wide eyes. Oh, it was absolutely exquisite. It was everything she could have hoped for, everything she could have dreamed of. There were flying machines, diving equipment, weapons… She turned and saw reproductions of some of da Vinci’s most famous drawings and sketches and she felt her heart soar. Yes, even if Robert or Richard or whatever his name was was here, she was fairly sure he would not get a scant bit of her attention today.

She made her way around, taking everything in, interacting with the things that she could, but after a time she began to realize she was being followed. And not by Reginald or Reid or…whoever he was. This was a different attendant. He wasn’t blonde, for a start; he had dark, curly hair. It was black, she thought, or perhaps a very dark brown. And he was taller, by at least a few centimeters. Definitely enough that there was a noticeable difference between them if she were to stand directly in front of him. He was also leaner. Randall or Reggie (really, how could she give him the fleeting bit of her attentions and not know his name?) was quite a bit more muscular, almost built like a rugby player, but this man, while having muscles, was thinner. He’d look very nice in a well cut suit, she wagered. 

Why had she thought that?

She pretended to give him no notice, moving away from the game, and then when he followed her to the next exhibit she stopped dead in her tracks and whirled around to face him. “I have every right to know why you’re following me around like you think I’m going to try and pilfer an artifact to take home,” she said in a slightly accusatory tone, though she kept her voice low.

He blinked, a bit startled, but he recovered quickly. He looked at her with the most brilliant eyes she had ever seen. They had looked green for a moment, then seemed to change to an almost icy blue in an instant. “My motives for following you are my own,” he said, his voice deep and smooth and velvety. Certainly a step up from Randolph or Rupert, who had a hint of a Scouse accent at times when he got particularly excited about things, which was often.

“I see,” she said, trying not to get annoyed. “Well, I assure you, I’m only looking.”

“You look around a lot. You come here with some regularity,” he said, crossing his arms.

“What are you, security?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” he replied. “Head of security.”

Her mouth formed a small O shape as her eyes widened. Suddenly things clicked. Her increased visits, her wandering around…perhaps… “I’m not casing the museum,” he said. “I’m simply…trying to clear my head. Too much trying to cram too many facts in. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in uni, I’m afraid. I’m not used to doing so much studying. This is always a place I’ve gone to relax.”

He gave her a skeptical look. “You’re in university?”

She nodded. “King’s College. I had been going years prior but my mum got sick so I had to drop out, take up a different job. She passed recently, and she told me she wanted me to fulfill my dream, so here I am, thirty-three and in classes with people ten years my younger and struggling to make sense of how to make it all work sometimes. So I come here to get my head straight. I can show you my ID if it helps.” She reached for her handbag to get her wallet.

“I…it’s all right,” he said, almost a bit sheepishly. “I can make some phone calls to verify things.” He reached up to run a hand through his hair. “We’ve heard rumours in the museum community that one of the museums might be hit this week. Everyone’s on high alert. With this being the first day of the exhibit…”

“No, I understand,” she said, giving him a smile.

“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding,” he replied. “I’ll leave you to enjoy the exhibit, Ms…?”

“Hooper,” she replied, extending her hand. “Molly Hooper. And you are?”

“Sherlock Holmes,” he said, taking her hand and shaking it.

“You know, perhaps if you get some time, I could treat you to coffee?” she asked. “You look as though you could use a cup.”

He gave her a rueful smile. “The long nights are obvious?”

“Just a bit,” she said with a soft laugh.

“Let me change out of this and into my normal attire, but I could meet you at the Energy Café in about twenty, twenty-five minutes?” he suggested. “So long as you allow me to pay and extend the offer to lunch, for my gaffe in assuming you were a burglar.”

“Deal,” she said with a smile. He nodded his head towards her and then turned to leave. She watched him, admiring the way he walked and paying particular attention to his fine derriere, and then her smile widened. She had the funny feeling that she would completely forget the charms Rhys or Rory had to offer by the time she left the museum today. Yes, she had the feeling she would be thinking about one Sherlock Holmes from now on around her studies, and she was perfectly fine with that.


End file.
